Donna Lim calls herself a basset hound yenta. Not in the classic Yiddish definition of a "busybody or gossipmonger," but in the slang definition of a matchmaker. Lim is a volunteer with Golden Gate Basset Rescue and seeks the perfect match between families and homeless basset hounds. This wasn't a career the Fremont resident planned, but something she fell into after retirement.

I'm proud to say that my matchmaking skills are pretty darned good, thanks to my mentor, Gloria Carlsen, founder and president of the organization. The most important thing I do is listen. I listen to applicants who have decided they want to adopt a rescued basset hound. I listen to foster parents who tell me not only about the physical health of their foster dogs, but their activity level and interaction with other animals and children in the home.

Since bassets are pack animals, what do they do when the pack is at work? I listen to the dogs, too, to each one's personality and quirks, so to speak. Then when I find a family and a dog that share the same lifestyle, I make the match. Over the past three years, I've made more than 250 successful matches.

I'm commonly asked why I'm so passionate about basset hounds. Honestly, I don't know. Obviously those magnificent ears can't help but get one's attention. Or maybe it's their soulful eyes. Perhaps it's because their persistent noses never fail to find wondrous smells in a simple patch of grass.

It's been documented that basset hounds aren't the "brightest light on the tree," but I disagree. I think they're among the smartest breeds. Bassets simply save their energy for what's truly important. Why waste precious time doing silly tricks to look cute. They already know they are cute.

But I guess what really attracts me to this breed is that basset hounds look as if they were made from spare parts. Their skin is too large for their bodies, they drool, they shed year round, and they sometimes smell like a cross between dead fish and wet socks. They believe that they are entitled to the most comfortable place in the house, and no amount of careful prevention will stop them from attaining their goal. Maybe I love basset hounds simply because they make me laugh.

Sometimes I wonder why I do this. I'll spend hours at the computer contacting people and hoping for a positive response. Some days are nothing but frustration. And then, right when I'm feeling discouraged, out of the blue I'll get an e-mail from a family that I matched a dog with a year or so ago, expressing their heartfelt thanks for completing their lives. Sometimes they include a picture of the dog with the family, and that's when I remember why I'm a basset hound yenta.

It's said to be really happy, you should find something you love to do. Follow your passion. Every year, Golden Gate Basset Rescue places approximately 100 homeless dogs in their forever homes. It takes a village of volunteers and I'm a small part of the process. I may not be bringing world peace, but I am helping save a life.